No. The term “mental health,” like the synonymous term “psychological health,” refers to a person’s mental well-being in the broadest sense of the word. If a person is psychologically healthy, he can fully enjoy life, feel the meaning of his existence, cope with professional and other tasks, love, work and build relationships with others. And if this does not work, then we can say that the person is psychologically unhealthy. But this does not mean that he has serious conditions from the field of great psychiatry: split personality, paranoia and similar problems.
What can happen to my mental health? How do I know if something is wrong with me?
Mental health can be impaired for a variety of reasons: prolonged stress, family problems, personal grief, even head trauma can lead to these kinds of problems. They manifest themselves in different ways – from a simple decrease in self-esteem and a long period of bad moods to neurosis and even mental illness. It is important to understand that not all unpleasant feelings and emotions are a symptom of illness. Fear, anger, and sadness are experienced by anyone from time to time. However, if these states interfere with life, it may be a symptom of a psychological problem. For example, if for more than two weeks you notice a depressed mood that seems to be caused by nothing. Or when the fear on the subway hits you so hard that you’d rather ride an hour longer to your destination, but only on the ground. When you can’t sleep for several nights in a row.
Is there any prevention?
Yes, of course there is. There is such a thing as psychohygiene. It includes a wide range of measures that help, if possible, to avoid going to a specialist. It is necessary to take a conscious approach to life and those events that affect us. Choose ways of stress prevention that suit you personally: hobbies, walks, going to the theater, sporting events – whatever suits you. Observe the daily routine. Of course, avoid craniocerebral traumas. However, if a psychotraumatic situation does occur, you should not put off going to a specialist, because over time the problem can become more acute.
